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Post by blackie on Jan 18, 2006 6:23:59 GMT -8
A few weeks ago I posted here worried that my gerbil Phillip had a respiratory infection. I should havetaken him to the vet right away. I went to the vet with him last week because his head and neck was tilted, and he seemed sick. The vet said it was only an ear infection and prescribed antiobiotics. I have to give him one drop twice a day with a dropper.... the problem is that I live alone and although Phillip is very tame for a gerbil it's almost impossible to give him the medicine on my own. I can't get the right amount of medicine in the dropper and I have to hold him very firmly to give him the medicine. He just twists and squirms. Would it be better if I used a small syringe? Can he get sick from getting too much medicine? I feel a bit desperate and I'm worried that he isn't going to get well. He seems to have lost a bit of weight. today some of the medicine got in his eye and he rubbed his eye but I guess it's harmless if its only antibiotics. I'm so tired. Don't know what to do. I feel that I'm stressing him out when I try to give him medicine.  |
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Post by blackie on Jan 18, 2006 6:25:03 GMT -8
Do you think he is feeling a lot of pain in his ear? It's really awful to see him with his head tilted like that.
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Post by ashleyrenee on Jan 18, 2006 7:51:32 GMT -8
My gerbil missy had the same problem and her head is sorta tilted. Not much from the time i posted about my gerbil having a ear infection.There might be pain, but all i know is that its mostly a nerve doing the head tilting. I know how you feel i felt really bad for missy and i kept thinking i was a bad mommy. Just to miss this sorta health problem but she seems fine now. What medicine did you get from the vets? I used a small suringe on my gerbils and they squirmed but htey were fine with it. If its antibotics i dont think htey can get sick off it. Im not sure but if someone what to correct me please do. Just think positive, and support your gerbil make him feel confortable and stuff. And also just pray if ya need too! lol. Ill be praying for phillip blackie, keep us posted on how he is doing!!
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Post by blackie on Jan 18, 2006 8:43:30 GMT -8
I kind of panicked today but I think maybe I can buy a small syringe and try that instead the dropper is useless becAUSE thetiny drop with medicine just drips out. I got vibramycin, a green liquid stuff...he hates it. He seemed a bit better until yesterday. I think maybe I should try not to wake him when he is sleeping to give him medicine. Right now I feel like a useless gerbil mom! I just feel like crying. The vet said he should be fine, but if he doesn't get the medicine then what? Maybe I should just ask someone to help me give him medicine. I think I need to relax and worst case scenario probably won't happen. I guess their instincts kick in when you grab them firmly...like your a predator. gerbils hate when you hold them too tight. It was kind of funny because when I realised Phillip was sick he was very contact seeking and wanted me to take him out of the tank. Like he was telling me something was wrong. He just walked all over the floor with his entire neck andhead tilted. I thought he had broken his back! I really hate this situation. |
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Post by ashgerbil on Jan 18, 2006 8:59:46 GMT -8
oh blackie, you're not a bad gerbil mum at all! you're doing everything right! i was scared to give my sick gerbil, Pablo, his medicine because he was so tiny and weak and he struggled alot. ring your vet and tell him/her about your problem, they may be able to let you put the medicine in Phillips water  or you could try putting a tiny bit of the medicine (less than the required amount, just to be safe) on some apple or a bit of wholemeal bread or one of his favourite treats or something like that and see if he'll take it that way i'm sure that phillip will be fine blackie  i hope he gets better real soon! |
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Post by chico on Jan 18, 2006 13:49:26 GMT -8
i'm sorry to hear about your gerbil. I have eactly the same situation with my little one although my vets is givin him the antibiotic by injection. he has had them for 48 hours now and seems a tiny bit better, he is not falling over any more but is still very tilted to one side, i know it is really horrible to see, I'm going to give it another 48 hours and see what happens....
You can only do your best and i definately think a syringe is better than a dropper. Try and put the end of the syringe in the side of your gerbils mouth rather than at the front, I find this works best.
Is he still eating & drinking okay? He needs to do this to keep his strengh up.......
I hope he improves......let us know....
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Post by ashleyrenee on Jan 19, 2006 18:05:46 GMT -8
my vet gave me stuff to put in missy's ear. i still have it. your not a bad gerbil mom!!!!! you taking the situation very well. i had to hold my gerbil's head to give her medicine, only because sometimes she nips, but she dont draw blood. i just wanted her to get better. She was really dehydrated. does he still eat and drink. i say to help him get him some pedalyte that orange drink for little kids. or some gatorade, i remember at fair they used to give hte bunnies that to get hydrated because it was so hot. ill cross my fingers for ya blackie i hope phillip gets better!!!
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Post by blackie on Jan 23, 2006 1:23:44 GMT -8
I stopped giving him medicine because he stopped eating and drinking and I thought giving him more medicine would totally damage his digestion. Was it wrong of me? Sorry to say that PHillip is getting worse and seems to be dying. I'm going to take him to the vet later today and have him put to sleep. I can't stand to see him suffer.It was impossible to get him to take the medicine. I bought a small syringe but it didn't work. I don't have anyone to suppost me exept my grandmother and she is really tired herself sometimes. Could it be a brain tumor or something? Is it possible to give antibioticsd to a gerbil that isn't drinking? I thought it would poison him. The only thing he would eat was carrot and sunflower seeds, suddenly he stopped drinking too. It's really awful. He sleeps most of the time and seems to be in pain. I think I waited too long to see the vet.
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Post by blackie on Jan 23, 2006 1:39:19 GMT -8
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Post by doomgerbiluk on Jan 23, 2006 1:51:51 GMT -8
I think you need to see the vet again and explain your difficulties.
It may be that she can change the antibiotics if those don't work, and advise you on how to get meds inside him.
I am afraid though there may come a point where you have to make the hardest decision, to have him put to sleep for his own sake.
Don't feel guilty, I've kept and bred/shown gerbils for 4 years now and getting meds inside them can still be very difficult.
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Post by kollur on Jan 24, 2006 3:06:42 GMT -8
My girl, Kollur, got an ear infection in December and it was horrible to watch her suffer. She felt all wobbly and weak and I thought I was going to lose her... I went to the vet where she injected her with vitamins and some anti-biotics. She also gave me two syringes(small ones), more anti-biotics, as well as steroids to reduce the swelling. Kollur is fine now, except that she'll always be a little wobbly/tilted since the infection damaged some nerves. gerbilforum.proboards21.com/index.cgi?board=health&action=display&thread=1132734159There are some pics in this thread that show administration with a syringe(without needles of course), which you might find helpful. Hope it works out. |
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Post by blackie on Jan 26, 2006 3:47:56 GMT -8
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Post by chico on Jan 26, 2006 6:48:27 GMT -8
im glad he seems a bit better. Carry on with that antibiotics and try to get him to eat some baby food, my gerbil also has middle ear infection and has been on antibiotics for about 10 days now. he loves baby banana porrige, but jsut try to get him to eat anything you can, you can tr y cheerios, corn flakes, slice of apple (small amounts).
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Post by blackie on Jan 27, 2006 4:10:22 GMT -8
I've noticed that his teeth are overgrown, should I take him to the vet and have them trimmed? And he has a problem with his left eye too, it seems like he has lost vision in his eye. some of the medicine got on the side of his face one time, but I don't thik it could make him blind? he had a kind of infection on the eye and the eyelid looked red and swollen. The best thing to do would prpbably beto take him to a vet ans see if there is anything that could be done to help him. I don't want to give up hope, since he is eating and seems a lot better. On the other hand I don't want to let him suffer, so if there is no hope he will get better... I think he is still a bit dehydrated and we should give him more drink & food. I think it has been about a week since he got seriously ill and two weeks since he got the ear infection. I'm sorry to say that the vets around here don't seeem to be gerbil experts. Does anyone know how long it takes for a gerbil to recover from a seriouls illness? He was sitting in his food bowl today and eating so that's a good sign. Most of the time he sleeps. He has lost a lot of weight.
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Post by kollur on Jan 27, 2006 5:19:47 GMT -8
If it was ear infection, it might have damaged some nerves or made him partially blind( I think). My oldest gerbil, Kollur, has been wobbly and seems blind on one eye after he got sick.
He is fine, even though he isn't as nimble as he once was, and as long as he is comfortable and enjoys my company, I'll be happy. I feel more protective of him though, and try my best to safeguard him since he isn't as sure of his own abilities as before.
Although one has a hard time of forgiving oneself for these things, even though they aren't necessarily one's own fault. It's just the nature of the beast; love...
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i hope he gets better real soon!